1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a lever-type connector.
2. Description of the Related Art
U.S. Pat. No. 7,670,159 discloses a conventional lever-type connector. This connector includes a housing with a front end that is connectable to a mating housing and a rear end from which wires are drawn out. The connector also includes a lever with a coupling and two side plates that project from the opposite ends of the coupling to define a U-shape. The lever is mounted to straddle the housing from behind and is rotatable relative to the housing. The side plates have cam grooves and the mating housing has cam followers at positions corresponding to the cam grooves. The lever is rotated with the cam followers at the entrances of the cam grooves. Thus, the cam followers displace relatively along the cam grooves to display a force multiplying action that connects the two housings with a low operation force.
The lever is rotatable to a projecting position where the side plates project to a large extent from the rear end edge of the housing and a retracted position where the side plates hardly project from the rear end edge of the housing. At the projecting position, a V-shaped space portion is open at one lateral side between the front end edges of the side plates and the rear end edge of the housing.
The wires drawn out from the rear end of the housing of the above-described conventional lever-type connector may protrude into the space because an opening area of the V-shaped space is large when the lever is at the projecting position. Thus, the protruding wires may be caught between the front end edges of the side plates and the rear end edge of the housing in the process of bringing the lever to the retracted position. The space can be closed by widening the side plates so that the front end edges of the side plates are more forward. However, a projection formed on the housing or the mating housing may interfere with the front end edges of the side plates at the retracted position.
The invention was developed in view of the above situation and an object thereof is to prevent one or more wires from being caught.